After years of learning French, one undergrad traded in the classroom for an office—5,000 miles away.
Mastering a new language requires far more than getting a 100-day Duolingo streak—it often involves practicing what you know abroad. At BYU, language scholars have ample opportunities to study and intern abroad while utilizing their language skills each day. Over summer 2024, undergrad Amelia Gamblin (Linguistics, French Studies ’24) took advantage of one of those opportunities, flying to Lille, France, for an internship at Lille Catholic University (Université Catholique de Lille). While there, Gamblin kept busy assisting the Business College in an array of projects that required she speak both English and French. After eight weeks, Gamblin returned home with a newfound confidence in both her career projection and her ability to speak French.
Foundations in French
Gamblin first began studying French as a freshman in high school and quickly became enthralled with the language. After joining the French studies major at BYU years later, she came to see the French language through the lens of its history and, more importantly, the many peoples and cultures that influence it. She explains, “There’s just a lot of history attached to the [French] language, and they never talk about that in high school. That’s been a big part of all the French classes at BYU.”
I wanted that immersion experience, and I wanted to go abroad. And I just really wanted to grow professionally.
Though Gamblin has always felt a personal connection to the French language, until spring 2024, she had yet to visit France. She says, “I wanted that immersion experience, and I wanted to go abroad. And I just really wanted to grow professionally.” With this objective in mind, Gamblin created an internship application, complete with her French résumé and cover letter as well as results from her Oral Proficiency Interview (OPIc). Working closely with Professor Daryl Lee (19th-Century French Culture and Literature), Gamblin applied for and was accepted to the internship in Lille and set off to gain experience speaking French every day.
Bienvenue à Lille
Gamblin arrived in Lille right in time for a string of public holidays, which, lucky for her, meant she was free to travel. For the first two weeks, she made day trips to cities in the north of France. Once the holidays had passed, she spent each weekend continuing her travels in France and exploring the surrounding countries, including Belgium and England.
I feel like God has wanted me to learn this language for a reason, and that’s why I’ve latched onto it for so long and why I stuck with it.
Though an avid traveler on the weekends, Gamblin stayed local during the workweek, spending a majority of her time working at the university. As an intern, Gamblin interviewed prospective students to determine their English skill levels, translated websites for their graduate programs into English, planned activities held by the office, and, if she had spare time, found additional projects she could help with. She explains, “It was up to me to find things to do, and that really helped me grow professionally. I learned they’re not just going to hand [projects] to me; I need to find things to do, and [as a native English speaker,] there’s plenty to do.”
Though she used English almost every day, Gamblin’s position also required she quickly develop a high proficiency in spoken and written French. While she could make her way around the country from day one, Gamblin recalls that developing language proficiency fit for a professional environment was not easy. She says, “At the beginning of the internship, I felt like I couldn’t understand a word people were saying. By the end, I was like, ‘I actually do have friends here, and I do understand the language.’” Having seen her ability to speak French grow in many capacities, Gamblin now plans to teach English in France after graduating BYU in fall 2024.
Though Gamblin’s internship only lasted eight weeks, she believes that the lessons she learned and the skills she developed will be handy as a student and far beyond. Looking back at her journey of learning French, Gamblin says, “I feel like God has wanted me to learn this language for a reason, and that’s why I’ve latched onto it for so long and why I stuck with it.”
Learn more about what you can do with French on the French & Italian Department website!